


Max's Tape

by Starkquillstardust



Series: Steve, Billy, and Conflicted Emotions [4]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Billy Hargrove Needs Love, Blood and Gore, Domestic Violence, F/M, M/M, Multi, Neil is a piece of shit, Steve is there to give it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-18 11:48:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14212494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starkquillstardust/pseuds/Starkquillstardust
Summary: The idea started because of the stupid tape recorder Bob had given to them, and Joyce’s desperate need to pay homage to him. Each member of the party would take the recorder home with them, fill up the tape with moments in their life, and return for the party to watch. Not everyone's tape has a happy ending.





	1. The Tape

**Author's Note:**

> This is part one of two parts. Get ready for a roller coaster guys.

The idea started because of the stupid tape recorder Bob had given to them, and Joyce’s desperate need to pay homage to him. Each member of the party would take the recorder home with them, fill up the tape with moments in their life, and then return it for the group, now including Joyce, Nancy, Jonathan, and occasionally Hopper, to watch. So far they'd gone through everyone but Max. 

Will went first as an example. His consisted of him eating out with his mom, Hopper bringing him a new board game, Joyce and Hopper dancing in the living room with Nancy and Jonathan, Mr Clarke teaching during Aviation Club, Dustin and Lucas singing completely off key during a sleepover while Mike just stares at them, Jane showing him how to look “Bitchin’” and, to all of the kids dismay, Nancy and Jonathan kissing under mistletoe. 

Dustin went next and his was bit shorter because the tape had ripped halfway through. It started with his mom talking in a baby voice to her cat with the Tv in the background, then Max teaching Will how to play Dig Dug properly, and finally half a video of Steve styling his hair for a date with Stacy. The last video cut off with them laughing and then the tv had filled with static much to Dustin’s disappointment. 

Lucas’s had videos of him riding his bike to the arcade with the party, eating out with Max, him dancing to Africa by Toto, his sister complaining about him after she'd stolen the recorder (this became a running joke in the group), his dad telling dad jokes, and Dustin falling out of a tree which ends with the film jerking and turning sideways as Lucas runs to help his friend.

Mike's turn was combined with Jane's because she almost broke the recorder the first few times she had it alone and they were always together anyways. Theirs consisted of Jane reading a dictionary while Mike writes down words she likes, Hopper singing and dancing in the living room while Jane laughs, Nancy yelling at Mike for stealing from her room, Jane on a swing while Mike pushes her, Jane putting dark makeup on Mike so he can be “bitchin’” too (Another new joke in the party. That is until Jane forces everyone else to try it as well and they all kind of like the look), the party playing D&D, Mike explaining D&D to Jane while they're alone, Hopper and Joyce dancing again, and then the whole party dancing along to I Need a Hero while Joyce records them.

Max fills hers on a Thursday so the next day The Party, Nancy, Jonathan, Joyce, and Hopper all gather at the Byer’s to watch her tape. She's oddly silent as they all settle down with their snacks. That was the first warning sign.

The next came when Hopper tries to dismiss himself after dropping off Jane by saying he probably had stuff he needed to do at the Station. Max seems to panic as he passes by and reaches up to grab his hand, instantly catching the man's attention, “I want you to watch it,” She says and he smiles, a little forced around the edges.

“I'm sure it's cool kiddo, but I really need to go,” He reasons and slowly tries to remove his hand. She grips it tighter and yanks this time. He stumbles forward a bit but catches himself before he can fall. His eyebrows come together as he looks down at her.

“I need you to watch it,” And there goes warning sign number three.

Hopper nods and slowly removes his jacket as if to prove he's staying, “Alright, yeah, I'll watch it,” He says cautiously and glances up at Joyce who is watching the encounter with the rest of the group in confusion.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Joyce asks as she steps forward. Max gives her a stiff nod and makes herself smaller.

“Can we just start the tape?” There's desperation in her voice and It's Jonathan who caves into it to slide the tape into the player.

The tape starts simple enough. Lucas is the sole focus of the recorder and he's smiling and making faces at it as he eats a burger. This goes on for a few minutes before Lucas   
leans up and out of frame before the video ends.

The next one starts in the back of Billy's car.

Music is blasting at top volume. Billy is nodding his head and slamming his hands along to the drum solo as the vehicle slows down and stops at an unknown destination. Max shifts the view just in time for Steve to lean into the open window of the passenger seat with a grin in place.

“I heard this is where you go to have a good time,” He says and sends a playful wink Max’s way before turning back to Billy.

“How about you get in and find out, Princess,” Billy suggests and leans across the seat to open the door. Steve slides in in one fluid motion and leans back to throw his backpack in the back.

“How we doing Maxy?” He asks as he puts his hand out for Max to fistbump which she gives with a laugh.

“Just trying to get home,” She says off camera, “Some idiot is holding us back by not closing his door.”

Steve reaches out and slams his door shut before turning back to her with a serious face, “Some people are just so rude, huh? Idiots!” He turns back around to where Billy is staring at him with one eyebrow raised, “What?” 

Billy doesn't respond with anything but a snort as he revs the engine and cranks the stereo as high as it'll go, blasting Money For Nothing before going back to his head banging.

Steve joins in this time and soon enough all three of them are yelling the lyrics as they dance as well as they can in their limited space. The recorder jolts around but there's no missing the times Billy glances over at Steve for as long as he can without swerving in the road. There's no missing the way he grins when Steve grips his arm as they speed up even more.

“Slow down, you maniac!” Steve yells as they go flying over a hill and when they land with a jerk Billy starts laughing maniacally. Steve glances back towards Max before his laughter mixes with Billy's as they continue flying, Dire Straits blasting around them.

The footage ends and changes to Billy and Steve sitting at a desk, both staring at a paper with despair in their eyes. The film is quiet for a moment until,

“What?” Steve groans, confusion lacing his words. Max starts laughing from behind the camera as the two older males stare at their papers with equal dread.

“I have no fucking idea what's going on,” Billy admits as his jaw twitches and his hands clench.

“It's basic English guys. If you can't write an essay how are you going to make it in college?” Max laughs again from behind the camera and Steve looks at her and then the paper repeatedly.

“I mean,” He looks at the paper again before leaning back in his chair, “We could always be strippers if push comes to shove,” He glances at Billy who looks away from the paper for the first time to stare at him.

“I could make it as a stripper,” He lifts his arms then, shirt pulling up much to Steve's apparent interest if his wandering eyes are anything to go by, “You? You'd starve within the first month of working.”

“Well fuck you too then,” Steve mumbles as he leans forward once again to stare at the paper, “Nancy was always good at this shit, not me,” He says and Billy stiffens beside him.

Nancy leans closer to Jonathan at this point. Watching their ex was hard enough, hearing him talk about one of them just made it worse. Joyce seems to pick up on this because she sends them sympathetic smiles.

Billy stares at the paper for a while before his jaw twitches again and then he's jerking forward to starts ripping them apart.

“Shit!” Steve exclaims as Billy clears the desk with one swipe of his arm, “What the fuck?!” Billy storms out of the room and Steve just sits there for a moment, extremely confused by what's going on before he's up and following after him, “What the fuck!” He calls now off screen.

Max comes into view, face fallen and eyes no longer full of the laughter that had probably been there earlier. She fumbles with the recorder for a moment.

“I said fuck off!” Billy yells suddenly and there's the sound of something slamming.

The screen goes black. The room is silent around them at this point, none of the laughter that had been present during the last tapes comes. Hopper thinks he understands why Max wanted him to stay so bad.

The next clip starts with Max herself. Her eyes are red and her face is puffy from her tears.

“I know this is suppose to be a fun tape, okay, and I'm really trying, but,” She pauses as she sniffs and rubs a hand across her eyes, “I just- This is my life. This is how it is and-” She's cut off by a door slamming and a sob rips from her throat.

“Where are you, ya little shit?” Billy's voice echoes through the house and Max’s tears begin to free fall.

“I'm sorry,” She whispers as she moves to crawl under her bed.

“I told you not to tell him!” Billy yells, rage shakes his voice and when he enters the room his face is almost equal to a tomato as his hands clench and unclench, “I trusted you once, you bitch!” He rips a poster off her wall and throws it to the floor, “I thought, maybe this time you wouldn’t be a fucking snitch like you always are! I thought I could confide in you like a true brother,” He rips down a shelf.

The sound of tires screeching and a door slamming open break past Billy's angry yelling.

He finds Max after trashing more of her room. He grabs her by the leg and she starts screaming and kicking in desperation but to no avail.

“I'm going to kill you,” He threatens when she grabs onto the leg of her bed. He yanks her hard but her arms don't give, “I'm going to fucking kill you!”

“Billy!” A voice exclaims and then Steve runs into view of the recorder. The picture is blurry but Steve's fear is still apparent, “Billy stop!”

Steve reaches for the man and is rewarded with Billy dropping his sister. Steve relaxes a bit and looks like he's about to say something when Billy punches him straight in the nose.

“Fuck!” Steve yells as he falls backwards into the overthrown shelf, “Billy,” His voice is weaker but he keeps trying as he grabs onto Billy's pant leg and yanks him down on top of him. 

Billy instantly begins to thrash and yell but Steve just wraps his arms around him and takes the blows Billy manages to land while holding on for dear life.

“I don't-” He chokes when Billy lands a punch to his stomach, “I don't think of you as any less,” He chokes out and screams when Billy bites down into his shoulder. He reaches out to smack him in the head with one of Max’s soccer trophies, effectively dazing him, “You're still Billy Hargrove,” Billy's fighting slows until he's just glaring down at Steve, “You're still MY Billy Hargrove,” Billy freezes as his face goes blank and he continues to stare down at Steve. Steve's nose is gushing blood as well as his shoulder and a bit out of his mouth, “You don't have to be what he thinks you are,” Steve's voice is much weaker and he lets his head thump back as he continues to stare at the man above him.

“Go away Max,” Billy says without looking away from Steve, “Go hang out with your boyfriend.”

Max stumbles back into the picture, body shaking as she sobs, “S-Steve?” She questions as she assesses the blood coloring his once grey shirt.

“I'm alright, Gingey,” He reassures as he slowly pushes his body out from underneath Billy. The other man doesn't move, “Go have fun. We'll be okay.”

The view moves then, over Steve's bloody face and onward until there's grass and snow underneath her feet. It's then that she realizes the camera is still on and she moves it to face her, all terrified eyes and puffy cheeks before the screen goes black.

“Holy shit,” Dustin speaks up, voice wavering and eyes wide with fear.

“He said he fell during basketball practice,” Jonathan whispers, face holding the same expression. 

The next clip starts and it gives them a break from all the pain, or so they think. It's Lucas and his little sister making cookies while Max sits just outside of the lense, her red hair the only thing giving away her presence.

“You sure you're okay?” Lucas asks as he shapes the cookie. He hands her a spoon full of cookie dough and her hand comes into frame to grab it and put it in her mouth.

“I just needed something more interesting to add to my tape,” She lies and Lucas nods.

Lucas is currently watching in horror along with everyone else at how easy she'd lied to him and how fast he believed it. His heart seems to both pick up speed and stop all at once as he looks at Max and sees the tears slowly covering her cheeks.

Joyce finally moves towards Hopper with a hand over her mouth and tears pricking her own eyes.

“Well, mom says you're always welcome here,” Lucas says with a wide grin.

“Yeah, because your brother is crazy,” Erica speaks up and Lucas pushes her sideways. Neither notice how Max flinches

“Shut up!” Lucas hisses and glares at his sister.

“What, it's true?” She defends and Max lets out a small, noticeably fake laugh, only neither of them realize it's fake, “See? She agrees with me.”

“He is quite the character,” Max mumbles and stands to help with the cookies.

The rest of the video is just them making cookies. It ends with Erica giving a review of the finished products and smiling at the camera.

No one laughs at the young girl's antics. They just wait in fear as the next clip starts to show.

Steve and Max are sat in front of a mirror as he tries to braid her hair. Steve's nose is a gross purple color, his eyebrow is cut open, and there are obvious bandages sticking out of his shirt near his shoulder.

“It doesn't look that bad,” He admits as he lets her turn and see the braid, “You'll make a better elf than Stacy I bet!” He begins to place tiny, sticky gems and clip on butterflies around her hair for added effect, “I helped Dustin with his knight costume and I must say, he truly is dashing,” He places one last butterfly in her hair, “But your costume beats his by far.” 

She grins up at him and looks like she's about to say something when the door cracks open and Billy steps inside as shown by the mirror. They both stiffen for a moment as Billy walks forwards and plops himself down behind Steve and leans against his back. He pulls out an ice pack and presses it against Steve's nose, making him groan and slump backwards.

“This for your stupid lerp thing?” He asks as he nuzzles against Steve's neck, making the man flutter his eyes close and lean heavier against him.

“It's LARP asshole, and yeah,” She fixes a few of her gems before standing up, her brown costume fluttering as she does, “Steve was helping me get ready.”

Steve just nods as he balances the ice pack on his face while leaning heavily against Billy. Max scoffs at them and continues to mess with her outfit. 

“I'm sorry,” Billy whispers, barely audible, and presses a kiss to the side of Steve's head. The injured man just hums and leans into the touch.

“I've already forgiven you,” Steve responds with a soft sigh.

“You shouldn't have,” Billy admits and lets his eyes close as his chin drops onto Steve's shoulder.

“I know,” He whispers back and then Max moves in front of them, blocking them out of the picture.

“Do I look like I could kill a man?” She questions and Steve hums as he forces his eyes open.

“Hell yeah,” His voice is more slurred now but he manages a thumbs up, “Most badass Elf I've ever seen, that's for sure.”

Billy scoffs and presses another kiss to the side of his face, “I'm taking him to bed, I think his drugs are kicking in,” He says and then his eyes harden, “Don't do anything stupid, Brat. I'm not coming to get your ass if something goes wrong.”

She watches him go and then huffs, “I look too good for this,” She says and grabs the recorder as she walks out the door.

“Have funnnnnnnnnnn!” Steve calls from what is probably Billy's room and then the door is slammed by a very frustrated, very shirtless Billy.

“Time to kick some ogre ass,” Max says into the camera and then with a wink it turns black.

The next video is recorded through the crack of Billy's door.

Sweet Child O’ Mine is blasting from a record player in the corner as Billy nods along, buttoning up his shirt. Steve is sitting on the bed flipping through a book with one hand and holding the Walkie-Talkie Dustin had given him in the other.

“Do you always take this long to get dressed?” Steve asks as he sets the book aside to glance at Billy.

“You can't rush perfection, Princess,” Billy sends a wink his way before plopping down in the chair in front of his vanity, “Come do my hair, I know how much you enjoy it.”

Steve does actually look excited as he grabs his Faberge Organics spray off the desk, “Maybe I'll be a cosmetologist when I'm older,” He says as he begins to shape Billy's hair.

Billy just glances at him with a snort, “Look, Harrington, we get you're gay, you don't have to rub it in,” Steve yanks his hair which earns him a shark-like grin, “Mm, I liked that.”

Steve lets out a surprised laugh, “You're so fucking weird,” Billy's grin softens into something more fond as he just lets Steve take over, “Alright, that should be good,” Steve steps back to marvel his handiwork.

Billy looks at himself in the mirror and grins before standing abruptly to push Steve against one of the bedposts and begin peppering kisses across his neck, “Best I've ever seen it,” He murmurs and Steve snorts.

“Alright, this would be cute and all if Max wasn't staring at us through the crack of your door and we didn't have a movie to get to,” Steve says as he turns to the door and then Billy is pulling back as well, glaring at the crack. He looks like he's about to approach when Steve grabs his shoulder and pulls him back, “Easy there, rockstar,” He soothes and Billy deflates after a moment.

“You better be dressed, Brat, cause I'll leave you behind,” Billy threatens and then he's heading towards her. She flinches back, if the jerking of the view says anything, but he just moves past her and down a hallway as she apparently hides the camera.

Steve's shoes come into view, “He's bluffing,” His voice cuts through the tense silence, “He won't hurt you any more.”

“You can't change him, Steve,” She shoots back, voice a mix of hurt, fear, and defiance, “He's just gonna suck you down with him,” The silence stretches again, “I don't want him to ruin you too.”

Steve's feet shuffle then. The silence is deafening between them, “You can't ruin something if it's already been ruined,” Steve whispers after a moment and then he's walking away, “Come on Zoomer, we're gonna be late.”

There's less of a pause in between the next two. There's a set table full of food. Rock music is playing in the background, just on the verge of obnoxious. Max closes her eyes as it starts.

“Okay, so what is this for again?” Steve questions as he comes into view, a roll in hand. He sits down and Billy passes by. He leans down and takes a giant bite out of the roll before Steve can pull it back, “Asshole!” He jerks his hand back protectively but Billy just winks and takes a seat at the head of the table.

“Will’s mom wants us to do it in honor of Bob. It's a gift he gave to Jonathan before he passed,” Steve shifts uncomfortable at the name and Billy's eyes narrow slightly, “We each fill up a tape and then we get to present it to The Party. It's actually really cool seeing into everyone's life.”

“What'd you put on yours so far?” Billy asks, suspicion thick in his voice.

“Nothing much,” Max lies, “I've got me making cookies with Lucas and Erica, LARPING with The Party, and us playing Dungeons and Dragons a few times.”

Billy hums and starts in on the sandwiches placed in the middle of the table. Steve follows suit and takes a bite before talking through the mouth-full, “Yeh, D’tin got me on one ‘f them,” He swallows, “Said something about wanting to win the awe of his peers,” Billy snorts and Steve glances at him, “He's a sweet kid, you'd like him.”

“Those kids have you wrapped around their finger, Dustin in particular,” Billy comments as he grabs his own roll.

Steve just shrugs, “It's not like I have a large variety of friends. They consist of you, six kids, and a police officer,” He admits and then lets out an almost surprised laugh, “Well, fuck.”

“I'm your coolest friend,” Max speaks up with a smug smile, “It's the hair.”

Steve laughs, more genuine this time, and nods, “You've got a point there. Being a ginger does automatically make you better than most.”

Max grins at him and begins serving herself glazed carrots, “It's a basic fact of life.”

“I personally prefer brunettes,” Billy cuts in with a shrug, “That's just me though.”

Steve's grin widens as he leans forward, “I use to like those but dirty blondes just do something to me, ya know?” Billy grins back at him, eyes softer than usual and posture loose, “And, never thought I'd admit it, mullets aren't that bad either. Even if you do look like Ellen Degeneres,” It's Billy's turn to laugh now, loud and free.

“This is going to be one fucked up tape,” He says after he catches his breath and actually smiles at Max. She smiles right back, looking pleased with herself if not a little shocked.

Steve stands and cranks the music up a little louder, much to Billy's apparent pleasure if his head banging is anything to go by, “Nah, She's going to have the best one,” Steve winks at her and settles back down.

The next minute and a half are just the three of them making idle chatter and Billy acting out a drum solo along to the music. The Party is silent at seeing the three so domestic together. Billy actually seems human.

The three don't seem to notice the car lights through the mostly blocked window. They just continue eating and joking around with each other. Max turns away from the tv.

“Is that true?” Steve asks playfully. Billy is leaned in close to him, both grinning at the proximity. They're both too wrapped up in each other to notice the door open. Max is too busy making fake gagging noises as she grins at the two of them.

Billy hums and leans closer, “Yeah,” He leans forward to capture Steve's lips with his own and Steve's hands come up to curl in his mullet. Max’s grin soften as she watches the both of them.

“What the hell is going on in here?” A voice demands and the two jerk away from each other.

Max’s eyes widen, “It was a prank!” She exclaims as she looks between the boys and someone out of view, “I dared them to do it!”

There's the sound of something being slammed down and then an older man comes halfway into the shot, “ Max, go to your room,” His voice is deep and almost quivering with rage.

“Dad,” She starts but he cuts her off.

“I said go to your fucking room!” He yells at her and she scrambles away from the table without even a glance at the recorder. Billy flinches and drops his gaze down while Steve just stares at the man with apparent fear, “You want to explain what's going on, Billy?” There's a threat in his words.

“It was a dare, just like Max said,” Billy doesn't look up when he talks and Steve seems to shrink further into his seat.

“Yeah, that true?” The question is pointed at Steve this time but he just stares at him as his breathing picks up, “I'm fucking talking to you, Harrington?” He yells again and his wife steps forward.

“Neil, calm down,” She whispers and grabs his shoulder but he shoves her backwards.

“My boy isn't going to be a faggot, Susan,” He hisses back and she flinches, “That why he's always over here,” His face holds nothing but disgusted fury, “So you two can suck each other off in your bedroom? Huh? You two fagging it up while Susan and I are away?” He fist slams against the table and he grabs Max’s forgotten plate, “Answer me, faggot!” 

Billy just stares at him, face blank and body shaking, “It was just a dare, sir.”

The answer must not be enough because then Billy's father is backhanding him, plate still in hand. He jerks backwards and out of his chair into the floor. Steve only has a moment to register what's happened and move forward to help before Neil is turning on him.

“You think it's okay to turn my son into some cock loving faggot?!” He yells and yanks a now screaming Steve across the table by his hair, “Do you?” He screams, face red and veins bulging. Steve tries to kick out at him, to get the hands off him, but to no avail.

Billy groans from his spot on the floor and the noise seems to turn something off in his father because it's then that he starts to beat down on Steve. One hand holds him against the table by his neck while the other one slams against every available piece of flesh in quick successions until Steve goes limp in his grip.

“Don't fucking touch him!” Billy yells weakly from the ground. He pulls himself up and stumbles towards Steve's attacker. There's blood gushing from a gash above his eye and a large scrape across his chin.

Even with his wounds he manages to pull his father off of Steve whose face is a bloody mess at the point. This earns him a punch to the jaw, making him fall heavily against the kitchen table, but he uses his body to cover Steve's, “It's okay, you're okay,” He whispers to the boy below him but Steve just continues to stare upwards with a blank expression.

Neil continues to beat down, now on Billy, while yelling insults of every nature. Billy just curls himself around Steve and screams. This continues for a long time until Billy goes limp, his head landing in the corner of Steve's neck with a thump and lolling to the side.

“I won't have a faggot,” His father repeats as he steps away. There's blood coating his hands and sprinkled across his white shirt. The room is silent besides Susan's sobs in the background and the silence seems to settle in Neil because he kicks Billy one last time before storming away.

The two boys lay on the table, still as corpses, blood dripping from Steve's face and down Billy's exposed arm. The tape flickers a few times before going black.

Nobody moves as the tv buzzes a few times. Joyce, Dustin, Nancy, and Max’s sobs cut through the silence, each one feeling a different sort of sorrow. The others are silent, staring blankly at the table. Jane is the first one to speak up.

“He is like papa,” Her voice breaks the silence and Hopper seems to snap out of his trance.

He takes a deep, shaky breath and stands before slowly approaching Max. He kneels beside her and places a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “Hey Kiddo,” His voice cracks with emotion and he has to pause, “I need you to feel in the blanks, okay?” She doesn't look up so he sets himself in the floor beside her, “I need you to tell me what happened after the video. I need to know if Billy and Steve are alive,” Nobody else moves as she slowly looks up, face a dark red and eyes bloodshot from the tears, “I need you to help me so I can help them.”

Max takes a deep breath and looks like she's about to talk when another sob wracked her body. Joyce is up and moving at that point. She settles on the other side of the child and pulls her close, “It's okay sweetheart, we're here to help,” Max grips onto her like a lifeline as she sobs. It takes a few more minutes of Joyce rocking her back and forth before Max is breathing properly again.

“Th-They w-w-weren't there I-In the morn-morning,” She practically chokes up and Joyce continues soothing her as much as she can.

“Do you know where they might be? Do you think they left on their own or would your father have taken them somewhere?” Hopper tries to keep his voice calm but He can feel the panic slowly rising up his throat, the sight of the two boys lying on the table covered in blood carved in his mind.

“B-Billy’s ve-veh-vehicle was g-gone,” She says and seems to think about the events that had led to where they were, “Neil, Neil left last night a-after the fight,” She pulls away from Joyce to tug at her hair, voice stronger but still trembling slightly, “Mom was still at home,” She pauses, “I don't know where they are,” She looks up at Hopper and tears fill her eyes again.

Hopper just nods and stands up, leaving Joyce to comfort her. He turns to the others. Jonathan looks like he's in shock, eyes wide and vacant, as he holds Nancy who is sobbing into his shoulder. The four boys are curled close to each other, each looking horrified while Dustin is sobbing his eyes out. Jane is still staring at the TV

“Okay,” He says and runs a hand through his hair, “Okay,” He says again and begins turning in circles as he tries to look for something to give him any ideas, “I'll put out an emergency report, have everyone look for Billy's Camaro. Okay,” He clears his throat, “Yeah, yeah I-”

“I can find them,” Jane whispers as she looks up at Hopper, “I'll be faster.”

Hopper just stares at her for a moment before nodding wildly, “Yeah,” He agrees and runs to the bathroom to grab a towel.

Joyce turns the TV to static and everyone moves around Jane as she settles down to find the two teenagers.

Max just hoped they weren't too late.


	2. A happier ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go folks! Hope you enjoy!

Darkness envelopes Jane as she slips into her own realm. She stands slowly and does a small spin to find the two boys in the void.

“You're okay, it's okay,” A voice filters through to her. She begins walking in that direction until she can see the two teenagers.

They're in the back of Billy's Camaro, Billy propped against the door with Steve in his lap. His shirt is ripped up and wrapped around Steve's head, soaked in both of their blood. Steve's pale all over and still as a corpse as Billy runs a hand through his bloody hair almost frantically.

“You're okay, you're okay,” He repeats over and over as Jane approaches. She reaches towards Steve before stopping herself.

“Dead,” She says, unaware of how the people in the room around her react. She can only focus on Steve, pale, unmoving, and covered in blood.

Billy continues to repeat himself until his voice cracks and he falls silent. Jane is about to report back to Hopper when Steve lets out a guttural groan and proceed to spit blood all over himself. He chokes a few times before Billy pulls him up into a more upright position and his breathing evens out.

“Not dead,” She smiles and removes the towel blindfold. Hopper is kneeling in front of her, a quiet desperation in his eyes, “Not dead,” She repeats and he smiles.

“Can you take me to them?”

***

It takes them forty-five minutes to find the Camaro hidden in the woods. Hopper, Jane, and Joyce are in Hopper’s Blazer while Nancy and Jonathan had driven separately just in case. The boys voted on staying home, much to Dustin’s anger, to keep Max away from what they all assumed would be straight up gore.

“That's them,” Hopper kills the engine and gets out of the vehicle as fast as he can. Joyce makes sure Jane isn't going anywhere before getting out to join him.

It's hardly twenty degrees outside and Hopper’s breath floats around him as he approaches the vehicle. It's covered in frost, making the windows impossible to see through, so he approaches slowly, knowing they can't see him.

“Steve? Billy?” He knocks on the window with his flashlight, “It's Hopper. I'm here to help.”

“It's okay, It's okay, you're okay,” Billy's voice is muffled through the vehicle's door but Hopper is just glad he can hear him.

“Billy, I need you to unlock the door, okay?” He speaks up again after trying to open the door and failing, “I can't help you If I can't get to you.”

“You're okay, you're okay,” Billy continues, voice more panicked now.

“Billy, Billy I don't want to bust this window,” He says. The two teenagers must be in an extremely fragile state but doesn't know what state they're in physically and he needs to get to them quick, “Billy,” He tries again and desperation shoots up his spine until it's choking him, “Fuck it,” He whispers and then he's heading back to the Blazer for his shovel, “I'm coming in guys, watch your heads.”

“Hopper,” Joyce interrupts and grabs his arm, “You're just going to scare them more!” Nancy and Jonathan are out of their vehicles at this point and walking towards them slowly, shivering in the cold.

“You saw Steve at the end of Max’s tape. There's no doubt he needs a hospital and he's been out here in the cold for almost twenty-four hours!” He exclaims as she pulls him aside, “Neither of them are okay, and we need in there.”

Nancy makes her way to the window and presses her hand against it, melting the frost slowly. Jonathan joins her until they have the window cleared enough to try and peer inside. It's dark, completely black besides the opening they've made.

“Billy?” Nancy says when she makes out his legs in the darkness. She can see Steve's shoes a little higher up indicating that he's pulled up onto Billy's lap, “Hey, It's Nancy. Can you open the door please?” She makes her voice softer, kinder.

“You can't have him,” Billy says from the darkness and they both freeze, “You ruined your chance, you can't have him,” His voice is rough and he sounds more like he's talking to himself than Nancy, “You ruined everything. You always ruin everything.”

“Let me fix it then,” Nancy tries and then pulls at the door, “Let me in, Billy.”

Billy falls silent and makes no move to open the door for them

“Billy, If you don’t let us help you then you’re going to ruin your chance too,” Jonathan reasons and pulls against the door handle gently, “Nobody can have him if he’s dead.”

It’s quiet for a moment longer but then Billy is leaning forward towards the door. Nancy stumbles backwards when she sees the blood and deep purple coloration of his face. The gashes on his face are matted with blood and his jaw is swelling grotesquely. He doesn’t even look like Billy anymore.

“Oh my god,” She whispers and continues to stare even as Hopper pushes past her and yanks the door open the second Billy unlocks it. The sound of sirens break the silence around them and Nancy and Jonathan look back to see Joyce using the radio in Hopper’s vehicle to call for help. Their attention is jerked back to the Camaro when Billy cries out and Hopper falls backwards into the snow from where he’s been kicked.

“You can’t take him!” Billy’s voice is desperate as he starts moving himself backwards away from the others, “You’re okay, you’re okay, you’re okay,” He whispers when Steve lets out a groan at the movement.

“Billy,” Hopper’s voice is full of tension as he stands and moves towards the opening again, “Billy, I know you’re scared, that’s understandable, but right now you are both very, very hurt and we need to get you somewhere where we can help you,” He squats down so that he can look Billy in the eyes, the sirens grow louder behind him, “Neil’s not here, okay? You’re never going to have to deal with Neil ever again if I have to do anything with it,” He reaches out slowly and places a hand on Billy’s leg expecting a kick that never comes; He takes that as improvement, “I can’t help you if you bleed out,” He reasons but Billy still doesn’t move, “I can’t help Steve if he bleeds out,” He tries and the results are almost instantaneous. 

“Steve,” Billy whispers and then forces himself to sit up a little bit, “You gotta help Steve,” He says louder and starts scooting forwards as the ambulance pulls in behind them. Hopper flinches when Steve comes into view, the blood dried down his neck leading a path to a shirt completely soaked with blood, both dried and fresh. His face looks worse in person then it did in the tape and Hopper’s concern grows.

“I’m going to take him, okay?” Hopper whispers and waits until Billy nods before reaching out to lift Steve. There’s blood on Billy’s bare chest from where Steve had been laying and it fills the air with a metallic smell when they’re pulled apart.

Jonathan gags and moves backwards at the sight and Billy looks up at him with vacant eyes. He moves forward so that his legs hang out of the car and he’s mostly sitting up. His chest is covered in goose bumps and he wraps his arms around himself numbly.

Hopper hands Steve off to one of the paramedics who lifts him into the ambulance where Joyce is trying to explain what happened to one of the women there. He then moves back towards the Camaro to where Billy is staring blankly in the direction of the ambulance.

“Alright Buddy, now it’s your turn,” He says and moves to wrap an arm around Billy’s waist who just grabs his arm and stares at his feet.

“Is Steve, Is Steve okay?” He asks without look up and Hopper pauses.

“He’s going to be okay. You’re both going to be okay,” Billy sends him a small smile before going completely limp as he finally passes out, “Shit,” Hopper tightens his grip on the teenager and spins around only to almost knock into Jane, “Shit!” He exclaims once more and takes a step back, “What the hell are you doing out here? Go get back into the vehicle.”

She doesn't move, just continues to stare at Billy with a blank expression, “He's hurt,” She says after a while and Hopper just groans as he adjusts his grip on the teenager again.

“Yeah, yeah he is. You need to get in the car so that we can help him,” He explains as he pushes past her towards the ambulance. She just follows beside him.

Another medic takes Billy from him and places him in the ambulance beside Steve. Joyce climbs in and goes to the far back, out of the way so they can work. She makes eye contact with Hopper just as they close the door.

“I need you two to take Jane home and watch the kids,” Hopper says as he turns to face the other teenagers. Jonathan is extremely pale and Nancy is staring blankly at the blood on the seats of the Camaro, “Hey!” He yells, snapping their focus back to him, “Take Jane and watch the kids,” He repeats and they both nod, still seeming to be in shock. Nancy is the first to move, breaking the tension and setting them back into motion.

“Where are you going?” Jonathan asks when he's about to get in the vehicle.

“I've got a new type of monster to take down.”

 

***

Hopper feels nothing but deep satisfaction as his fist slams into Neil Hargrove’s face.

“I told you not to resist,” He says as the man hits the door frame and stumbles backwards. He'd arrived at the house only a couple of minutes ago and he still had some time before Powell and Callahan arrive as back up.

“What are you talking about you madman? I didn't move,” Neil yells as he looks up at Hopper in bewilderment.

“And threatening me?” Hopper delivers a swift kick to his side and Neil groans.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Neil grits out as he tries to stand.

“You think it's cool to hit kids?” Hopper asks as he pulls the man up and shoves him towards the same table he'd been Steve and Billy at, “You get some sick joy from it?”

Neil lets out what can only be described as a growl and swings at Hopper, catching him in the jaw, “Those faggots aren't kids!” He yells as Hopper stumbles backwards, “And they deserved everything they got! My boy isn’t a cock loving slut.”

Hopper regains his bearings and can feel rage flood his senses, “Billy is a human who can make his own decisions and you have no right to hurt him, or anyone else, if his choices don’t fit your morals, if you even have any,” He grabs his flashlight and swings it at the other man, catching him in the temple, “You almost killed those boys!” He pushes Neil against the table and slams his fist into his face once more, “You beat them within an inch of their lives and you better fucking pray that they’re both alright because I promise if they’re not,” He lands another blow, “You’ll never see the light of day again,” He threatens and goes to punch him again when there’s the screech of a vehicle pulling you, “You don’t realize how lucky you are that they’re here,” He whispers and steps away to pull out his handcuffs.

“Chief, you all right?” Powell asks as he steps into the house. He looks at Neil’s now bloody face and then Hopper but doesn’t make any comments.

“I’m fine. You two wait here for Mrs. Hargrove, I’m taking him back to the Police Department for further questioning,” He says as he slaps the cuffs on Neil, purposefully pulling them tighter than necessary.

Neil glares at the two officers as he’s forced outside. Hopper shoves him in the back of one of the police cars the other officers had provided and takes great pleasure in slamming the door. He lights a cigarette as he gets into the vehicle and just hopes that Billy and Steve are alright.

***

“They’re going to be fine,” Lucas whispers to Max from where they’re sat in the waiting room of the hospital Steve and Billy were admitted to. It had been five hours since Jane had located the two teenagers and the kids had been on edge since. Max hadn’t stopped crying the whole time.

“I should’ve told someone sooner,” She sobs and Joyce continues rubbing an arm up and down her back. Their whole group is crowded together; Lucas is on the left of Max with Joyce on her right and Dustin sitting at her feet; Will is leaning against his mom beside Mike who is holding both his and Jane’s hands, who is sitting to Mike’s right; Nancy and Jonathan are sitting a few seats away, watching the others with blank eyes; and Hopper is talking to one of the Doctors in charge of the boys.

“They're in stable condition,” She’s saying, “Both are suffering from a concussion and are being monitored very closely because of how much blood they’ve lost. Mr Hargrove is going to need stitches for the cuts on his face but besides that a morphine drip should help with the bruising, which will heal over time. Mr Harrington is going to need implant plates to hold his collarbone in place while it heals from being broken. His nose has been set back into place but it’s still a nasty break that may require more attention further down the line,” She shows him a few documents before sitting them down to focus her attention solely on him, “Mr Harrington’s parents aren’t answering any of our calls and from what I’ve been told Mr Hargrove is no longer in the custody of his biological family,” Hopper runs a hand through his hair, “Child services will be looking into this but for now Mr Hargrove’s sister needs somewhere to stay and both you and Mrs Byers have been approved,” She explains and Hopper looks up quickly.

“Approved?” He asks incredulously and she gives him a small smile.

“You both have perfect records and you’re a cop for christ sake. They’re probably safest with either of you,” She says and then leans closer, “Mr Hargrove has been asking about you all morning. Well, when he’s not asking about Mr Harrington or his little sister that is. He trusts you and Mrs Byers and in Hawkins that’s all we really need to let them stay with you for the time being.”

Hoppers eyebrows crease together and he stammers for a moment, really craving for a cigarette, “There’s got to be something wrong with that legally,” He reasons and the nurse smiles.

“This is Hawkins,” She shrugs and takes a step backwards, “Dead kids come back to life here. You shouldn’t be surprised,” She gives him one last look before walking back in the direction of where the boy’s rooms are.

He walks back over to the group and Joyce stands to meet him in the corner. She crosses her arms as she approaches, anxiety clear on her face, “Fill me in, what’s going on?”

Hopper rubs at his temple as he stares down at the carpet under his feet, “Uh, they’ll need to stay a little longer to be monitored and have a few more procedure they need to go through. Steve is getting plates put in to hold his collarbone in place. That bastard fucked it up pretty bad,” He says and Joyce curses under his breath. Hopper pauses for a moment, “They want Max to come home with one of us, say that we’re her best bet for safety,” He looks up to make eye contact with her, “They want us to take Billy as well when he’s all healed,” Joyce opens her mouth a few times before clearing her throat and nodding.

“Yeah, um, I can do that,” She says and gestures towards her sons, “Will sleeps with me or Jonathan most of the time so I can clear his room for one of them and the couch pul-”

“I want to take them in,” Hopper cuts her off and her expression changes, “They both get along with Jane, hell I think she already kind of looks at Billy like an older brother and they’ve only been around each other a few times. You already have two kids of your own and I make almost twice what you do,” He stops and just stares at her for a moment. Her eyes are soft and there’s a smile on her face, “They’re good kids Joyce. They deserve to be happy.”

“Yeah, yeah they do,” She whispers back.

***

It’s another three days before Billy is released and a whole week after that before Steve is. Billy spends the whole week at the hospital and Hopper has to stop him from fighting a nurse when they try to kick him out the first time. They don’t make that mistake again. He sits by Steve’s bed apologizing endlessly no matter how many time Steve says he doesn’t blame Billy, that he can share the blame seeing as he knew how Neil treated him and didn’t do anything. There’s a lot of tears and Hopper tries to give them as much alone time as he can.

Max moves into the cabin with Jane, who is thrilled to have a sister again. It’s no longer set up to hide Jane so there’s a lot more room for everyone. Hopper starts building a bunk bed the moment Max agrees to stay with them and he doesn’t stop until he’s rearranged Jane’s whole room to fit both girls. He takes Max to her old home and lets her start packing her stuff. He gives her her distance when the tears come once more.

Billy is more reluctant to stay at the cabin, insisting that he can stay on his own. It isn’t until Steve starts packing his stuff for him that Billy finally goes with it. He doesn’t look Hopper in the eyes and he doesn’t leave Steve’s side but Hopper will take whatever progress he gets. 

It’s a month later when Neil Hargrove is sent away for domestic abuse. Hopper doesn’t show the video in court, afraid that the more homophobic people in the jury would try to justify Neil’s actions, but Max’s testimony, the old and new scars littering Billy’s body, and Steve’s bruised face seem to be enough to put him away for a long time. Susan Hargrove loses custody of both kids and Billy’s restraining order is enough to send her out of town with the promise that Max will come visit over break.

Hopper’s hands tremble when he signs the adoption papers for Billy and Max. It hadn’t been as hard as he’d imagined, not with Joyce by his side the whole time. Max warmed to him easily but Billy avoided him at all costs. Hopper didn’t blame him.

It wasn’t necessarily a happy ending. Billy came home drunk more times than Hopper could remember and Hopper spent most nights listening to Billy try to sleep through his nightmares. Max lashed out at random times, years of built up emotions spilling out without her consent, and spent some nights muffling her sobs while Jane listened from her bottom bunk. Life wouldn’t go back to “normal” for the Hargroves because it had never been normal in the first place, but it had it’s better moments. 

Max and Billy went to the arcade every tuesday night, just the two of them, trying to make up for time they’d never get back. Max went to Lucas’s house on Sundays for church and they’d go out to eat afterwards. Steve came over after school everyday (They’d missed almost 2 weeks of school and the gossip was terrible but they were making it) and on extremely hot days they’d spend the whole afternoon in his pool. Hopper took all three of them to a movie twice a month(They see Heathers 4 times because Hopper SWORE he’d seen Veronica somewhere before) and invited the whole party over whenever they were available so none of them felt alone anymore.

It wasn’t a happy ending but it was better than anything Billy could have wished for. He hadn’t been able to see his future before but now it seemed a lot more hopeful and as long as he had Steve by his side than he was content. He was always content.

 

***

The film starts off black and then turns a peachy color as if someone’s hand is covering the lens. The only sounds are soft footsteps and the faint strums of music.

“We have to be quiet,” Max’s voice whispers as the music gets louder, slowly shaping into the soft chords of You’re the Best Thing.

“Quiet,” Jane repeats and then the hand is removed to show a door that’s only slightly cracked open and two slowly spinning figures inside.

The camera shakes as it moves forward before settling. The music grows as the the picture focuses and the two figures become Steve and Billy. They have their arms around each other and are slowly swaying in the middle of Billy’s room, smiles lighting up their faces.

“Cause you're the best thing that ever happened to me or my world,” Billy sings along as he pulls Steve impossibly closer, smile softening as they sway, “You're the best thing that ever happened so don't go aw-” He’s cut off when Steve closes the distance between them, pressing his lips to Billy’s gently. They stop spinning as Billy’s arms tighten around Steve’s waist while Steve’s hands caress his face. They stand there for a moment, the music still flowing around them. Steve pulls back and they just stare at each other with nothing but fondness.

“I love you,” Billy whispers, face vulnerable under Steve’s gaze.

“I love you too,” Steve whispers back causing Billy’s face to split into a grin before he presses his lips to Steve’s once more.

“That’s more like it,” Max’s voice comes from behind the camera and then the screen goes black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is! I hope the second chapter was just as good at the first! If you like it drop a comment please because they mean a whole lot to me. If you have any fanfic ideas leave those as well because I'd love to have a new way to express my love for these boys. Thank you so much for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Leave comments and suggestions for part 2 (It's almost done and will probably be uploaded tonight but if I like an idea I may work it in). Comments fuel my writing so if you like it make sure to tell me why!


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